Perfect Weather

We couldn't have asked for better weather in this trip. The nights are cool by the fire, downright cold for great sleeping and comfortably warm for our touring, hiking and biking activities. We've enjoyed some incredible sunsets and sunrises; like this beautiful Sunday morning.

Saturday in the Parks

Another lazy morning at Riverside Ranch camp before a big bike ride through Red Canyon Saturday. There is a pretty awesome bike path that goes to the summit of 7777 feet and then down again. The incline and altitude was a good workout for us FL bikers. Then we did short hikes around some of the Bryce Canyon highlights. Lots of energy from this amazing landscape.

Cedar Breaks, Red Canyon and Bryce

It was a full Friday out of our basecamp at Riverside in Hatch. Aside from a morning hike at Cedar Breaks National Monument, our day was leisurely, filled with awe and complete with a lunch sandwich from Burger Barn. We drove the scenic byway Route 12 into Bryce National Park and did some reconnaissance for Saturday in the park. Back at camp, we grilled Utah beef and enjoyed the fire and amazing sunset over the river.

Duck Creek

The Aspen trees in full color at 8500 feet elevation. Pretty ride today out of our basecamp at Hatch UT, 7000 ft. Riverside is a private campground, kind of dumpy but nice scenic view of the little river. We booked two nights for convenience between Zion and Bryce. It was down in the 30s during the night. Chilly, but nice sleeping weather in the van. We cranked on the furnace in the morning for our bacon & eggs at camp.

Zion National Park

Beautiful.

Leaving Las Vegas

Traffic was pretty heavy leaving Las Vegas on Interstate 15 north. Lots of trucks barreling down the highway. The desert landscape turned mountainous approaching the AZ border. Once in UT, we were traveling through scenic passes and red rocks. Very pretty. We stopped for groceries and fuel in St. George UT and took the last campsite at Snow Canyon State Park. Lucky ducks. Staggering beauty. We walked around the campground and took pictures with the serious Canon camera, which I will share once uploaded.

Business in Vegas

Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker Tuesday morning at the Deloitte meeting. She had a relevant message about authenticity, diversity, and taking responsibility for your story in life.

The Deloitte partners took over The Park on the Vegas strip for a fun night of grazing delicious food and sipping cool drinks. It was a beautiful party and well done in true Deloitte fashion. The nightcap was a private concert by Jon Bon Jovi.

Glam, Glitz and Gluttony

Vegas is crazy. Kind of sad, too. We cut through the casino to grab a taxi for Monday dinner at Prime Steakhouse in the Bellagio. What a scene! Smokin' drinkin' and gamblin' everywhere. The meal was over the top and so was the view of the fountains. The extravagant seafood appetizer reminded me of corporate decadence from back in the 1980s. Nine of us were reunited from NYC and enjoyed a delicious aged ribeye and nice wine at the business affair. After dinner we took in the decorations in the Bellagio lobby.

Vegas Baby!

Northwest out of Phoenix on US 93 became increasingly more scenic as we crossed into NV. The Lake Mead and Hoover Dam attractions were surrounded by dramatic landscapes. It was a lovely journey through the desert mountains with little traffic. We secured the van at Oasis RV Resort just off of the strip and took an Uber to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where we will be staying for Deloitte's partners meeting. A couple of nice dinners and visits with business friends will be on the agenda for the next couple of days.

Bears vs. Cards

The bus left the hotel at 10:30am Sunday for State Farm Stadium in Glendale AZ. Fifty fans from Chicago were ready for tailgating enroute rather than in the parking lot. Way too hot to be hanging in the sun.

The game was super fun, especially considering the magnificent air conditioned venue and the Bears pulling off a win 16 - 14.

Exhausted from a long day, most of our group opted for a convenient bite to eat at the hotel bar before retiring to rooms early. There's talk of our next reunion in Denver next year. It's always great to spend time with Maggie and Kevin and their extended family and friends.

On to Wild Horse Pass

Bill took this cool shot of Saturday's sunrise over the van before we pulled out for greater Phoenix. After check-in at the Sheraton Grand hotel, Bill took the van to Motor Coach Resort (two miles away) to park for a couple nights.

Slowly but surely we met Chicago friends around the hotel for our annual reunion and Bears game. The pool was the only place to be in 100° heat. A large group took Uber cars to Tempe for dinner at Dierk's Whisky Row. It was loud and packed with students watching the Arizona State game. Good food tho and fun scene.

Autumnal Equinox

We left Kartchner State Park after an amazing early morning hike. The sun is low and hot, preventing anything strenuous after 9am. Haha. Crazy dry heat and blazing sun. It was a thrill to see a diamondback on the trail. I didn't even scream. It was such a beautiful setting, we lingered over Bill's pancakes and cold brew at camp before heading out.

Errands, late lunch at In N Out Burger and a short drive to Picacho Peak State Park and we were immersed in the most beautiful sunset. A perfect day all around.

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Another short day of driving and we were in Arizona. We pulled into Kartchner Caverns State Park around 1pm. Now our new fave of the trip. We had all afternoon to explore on bikes and just hang out playing cards and enjoying camp. We were treated to a brilliant sunset as we cooked dinner. It was the first night of the trip that we slept without the air conditioning. Heavenly!

Rockhound State Park NM

It was another pleasant day of driving on some backroads and Interstate 10 West out of TX on Wednesday. We passed a most bizarre art installation in the middle of nowhere on US 90: Marfa Prada. Google it. Didn't stop for a picture.

We followed Walter White's car into NM (timing is everything) and found our way to Rockhound State Park. Our fave camp of the week. The western flora and fauna were magical. We had a nice hike around the park before dinner at camp. A dust storm had us taking cover and the rain woke up in the night. The Thursday morning desert air was filled with the fragrant and robust smell of sage.

Davis Mountains

It was a perfect stretch of highway from San Antonio to Ft. Davis TX. There were no cars on the roads Tuesday as we made our way to Davis Mountains State Park. A beautiful campground with a nice vibe. After a quick set up, we hiked up a bluff and enjoyed the vista. You can see our camper in a picture. Cold beer, hot shower and cool mountain temps awaited us back at camp. Salmon on the grill with a nice Rombauer completed a perfect day on the road.